


A trip to the capital never ends well

by manateehugger



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 21:01:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1200409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manateehugger/pseuds/manateehugger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hugo and Vassily return to Hugo's home after a trip to the capital where they went to see Nikki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A trip to the capital never ends well

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [Philomytha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philomytha/pseuds/Philomytha) in the [Bujold_Ficathon_2012](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Bujold_Ficathon_2012) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> From betony11:  
> Hugh and Vassily return home with bottles of the best Vorkosigan wine and dazed expressions They try to explain what happened in Vorbarr Sultana when they went there to rescue Nikki.

Rosalie Vorvayne looked up from helping Edy with her homework at the living room table when she heard the front door open and close. Edy looked up as well and ran into the arms of her father, Hugo.

“Dada,” the girl squealed happily as the large man bent down to pick the little girl up one handed and give her a peck on the cheek. His other hand held several bags in it.

“Did you bring any presents from the capital,” the little girl asked.

“I did, and you’ll get to see them after dinner,” Hugo said putting the little girl down. Rosalie thought it funny that Hugo had only begrudgingly agreed that their fourth child would be a girl. But after she was born he positively doted upon her and spoiled her rotten. 

“Where are the boys,” Hugo asked looking over at Rosalie.

“Hiding from you upstairs, they were playing Barrayarans and Cetagandans in the house again and knocked over my grandmother’s vase. I told them you would be dealing with them later,” Rosalie explained.

Hugo grimaced, Rosalie knew he hated being the ‘bad parent’ who always dealt out punishment. But how could it be any other way? 

Hugo turned back to Edy, “Honey, why don’t you go play upstairs for a bit. Mama, Vassily and I need to talk.”

Rosalie had noted that a stiff Vassily had stood silently behind Hugo for this whole exchange. He looked the way a cartoon character might after he’d been frightened by a ghost. The man was carrying bags of his own.

“Yes dada,” Edy said dutifully and after one last glance at the bags Hugo was carrying, she ran upstairs. Rosalie finally stood up and helped the men set the bags down on the table. Then she went into the kitchen to bring them tea. She came back to see Hugo pouring both men a healthy glass of scotch.

“Was your trip into the capital that exciting then,” Rosalie asked watching them.

“Madam, I tell you every time I venture there I deeply regret the activity,” Vassily declared. He looked slightly less frazzled after he downed his drink and then poured himself more scotch. 

Rosalie raised an eyebrow at Hugo, “but I thought you were only going to check on little Nikki since his mother and step-father are away on their honeymoon?”

“Well, we thought it would only involve stopping in to see Nikki and maybe take him out to lunch. You know Vassily just wants to do his duty and make sure the boy is being cared for.”

“Not that anyone else appreciates this fact,” Vassily declared taking another swig.

“Well we had rented a groundcar from the rail station to get around more easily. Taking the subway last time was such a hassle. Really either way you go about it there is no way to move quickly in that city without endangering the lives of everyone around you,” Hugo noted.

“We were just filling up the tank in the rental when who should fly past but little Nikki with his head out of the roof of some sports car. That vehicle was flying through traffic at a dangerous speed. We thought he was yelling at us for help and waving his arms to get our attention because he was being kidnapped,” Vassily explained. 

Rosalie’s eyebrows shot up, “oh that’s horrible!”

“Naturally we jumped back in our car and chased after them. It was an extremely dangerous chase and completely illegal. I should know I am a traffic officer,” Vassily declared adamantly. 

Vassily was many things, not all of them good. But at least he was conscientious and attempted to be a proper Vor gentleman. Naturally seeing a young relative being kidnapped would have set off his protective instincts, Rosalie reasoned. But where had Vorkosigan’s armsmen been for all of this and how could they have let Nikki get kidnapped, she wondered. She and Hugo and the rest of the family had been to Ekaterin’s wedding after all. They knew that there should have been plenty of people looking after the boy.

“We lost them for a short time and panicked. But then we saw Nikki crossing the street with this fellow. He was dragging the poor boy after him,” Vassily continued.

“Actually, in retrospect he might have been holding Nikki’s hand while crossing the street,” Hugo admitted sheepishly.

Vassily scowled, “well how was I supposed to know at the time? This man was definitely not Lord Vorkosigan nor was he wearing any sort of Vorkosigan livery. On top of that he had let the boy stick his head out of the sun roof which is extremely dangerous and inappropriate in serious traffic conditions!” 

“Hindsight is 20/20,” Hugo mused.

“Well go on with the story, did you save little Nikki,” Rosalie asked anxiously.

The two men looked very chagrined but Vassily continued.

“Well this fellow was dragging Nikki into this hole in the wall place in a not-very-nice part of town for who knew what depraved purposes. So I took action,” Vassily declared heroically.

“Vassily shot him with a stunner. Which really you shouldn’t have been carrying since you were technically off-duty at the time of our ah, misadventure,” Hugo pointed out.

“We were in Vorbarra Sultana! Who know what kinds of criminal elements we would be up against! I just wanted to make sure we would be able to handle them,” Vassily defended.

“So you shot this villain and then called the guard,” Rosalie prompted impatiently.

“Well, actually the guard was called but we were arrested. For shooting Lord Ivan Vorpatril,” Hugo admitted. He rubbed his reddening face with his hand but continued, “in retrospect I should have recognized him from the wedding party. As for the hole in the wall place it turned out to be a bakery. Contrary to its outward appearance it has some of the best pastries in town.”

“Well he shouldn’t have been tearing about the streets like a man with something to hide! And children should be properly buckled into their seats and not allowed to just stick their heads out of sunroofs,” Vassily argued. 

He had been helping himself to more scotch as the story continued and now seemed a bit shaky on his feet. Rosalie sighed and realized she was going to have to put their oldest son on the couch tonight so Vassily could have his bed. The man was in no shape to drive home after this.

“Fortunately Nikki explained to his family who we were so Lord Vorkosigan’s parents bailed us out of prison. His lady mother was very understanding about the incident and gave us some of the Vorkosigan district's finest wine as a reward for our erm, misguided heroism. At least that's what she called it,” Hugo noted gesturing to the bags that the two men had brought home.

“Lord Vorkosigan’s parents… you mean you spoke to the Butcher of Komarr again,” Rosalie asked. Granted Count Aral Vorkosigan had been at his son’s wedding but Rosalie hadn’t dared speak to him, except when they had been introduced ever so briefly at the beginning. The man was incredibly intimidating. To think that her husband had spoken to the man after shooting his nephew… she shuddered at the image.

“Do not call him that,” Vassily shouted in a panic, “Do not- he doesn’t like to be called the Butcher of Komarr!”

Hugo winced, “Vassily made that mistake. But yes everything is fine. However, we were instructed to not stun people anymore and to call ahead before we showed up from now on.”


End file.
